Professional paper

Infectious diseases in Croatia in 2012

Borislav Aleraj ; HZJZ, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

Based on regular communicable disease reporting, outbreak reports and vaccination coverage reports collected routinely and monitored by the Epidemiology Service of the Croatian National Institute of Public Health, an overview of the epidemiological situation in Croatia in 2012 is described. Diseases of low hygienic standard of living (typhoid fever, bacillary dysentery, hepatitis A) were rare, as well as diseases covered by the national systematic immunization program (measles, rubella, mumps, tetanus, etc.) some even eradicated (polio, diphtheria). Classical sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhoea, syphilis) were also rare. The incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS was in 2012 still comparatively low. Tuberculosis incidence was in favourable decline although the rates were still significant. Salmonellosis cases were still frequently recorded, although showing a decrease in the recent years. Vaccination coverage is constantly very high, which ensures a good control over vaccine preventable diseases in the future. There were no outbreaks of waterborne diseases related to public water supply, nor foodborne disease outbreaks. Since the limited autochthonous transmission episode of the dengue fever in Croatia in 2010, there were no such cases recorded in 2012. However, for the first time in Croatia, a few clinical (central nervous system) cases of the West Nile fever were diagnosed in 2012. Overall, it can be concluded that the epidemiological situation in 2012 was generally favourable. However, since there is still a number of potential risk factors present in our country, neighbouring countries and the rest of the World, such as inadequate sanitation in some areas of the country, increased risk for vector-borne diseases due to significant population of vectors present, especially mosquitos, and increased number of human cases of vector-borne diseases in European countries, more intense globalized travel of people, animals and goods, as well as climate change, the situation can still be described as potentially unstable. Therefore, further implementation of all established preventive and control measures according to good medical standards and respective national and EU legislation is required.

Keywords

Infectious diseases; epidemiology; Croatia

Hrčak ID:

133434

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/133434

Publication date:

30.9.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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